That is beautiful Suzanne. Your words inspire me.
Claudia On Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 10:02 PM, doug <o...@footprintsinthewind.com> wrote: > Suzanne-- > > Wonderful! You keep us all chasing our bliss in this world work. > > I especially like your turn of phrase, "Big talk." > > :- Doug. > > > > On Thu, 2010-04-22 at 09:24 -0400, Suzanne Daigle wrote: > > Dear Open Space friends, I was going to send a personal thank you note > > to Harrison (who I'm glad to say has become my friend as he is to all > > of you and all of us). Instead I decided to just put myself out there > > again in this community and send it to everyone. > > > > As I prepare for my upcoming trip to Berlin, celebrating my first year > > of Open Space following wonderful training by Diane Gibeault in Ottawa > > in April last year, I just decided to share my story and my feelings > > with all of you. I am truly in awe that Open Space is celebrating 25 > > years this year in the city where the Berlin Wall used to be. I > > cannot help but feel it is significant -- significant thinking of all > > the Berlin Walls that should fall in so many places in our world where > > people feel overwhelmed by the things that seem to be crashing down > > around them. Yet I feel that this deep pain is possibly the signal of > > a collective and global rebirth. But to notice and see, we must open > > up space in our lives. As we do, we realize that what matters most is > > what's inside of us. It's why I am as drawn today to Open Space as I > > was the first time I "met" OS a year ago. So today I decided to press > > the "send button" ....thank you Michael Herman that it's working so > > well allowing me to share how I'm feeling on the eve of my trip to > > Berlin. I can't wait to meet so many that I have been reading here > > and others who I know already. I feel such gratitude to have the > > opportunity to be there. I've even decided to do a second training in > > Open Space in Berlin to deepen my practice and learning with many from > > other countries. > > > > Now for my note that I had intended to send to Harrison: > > > > > > Hi dear friend Harrison, > > > > My « bliss » journey continues and I know you said Thank you not > > required. But I still want to say thank you. > > > > You see for me I’ve connected that the “song” (from mythology) leading > > me here came from my first encounter of Open Space. It “caught me” > > then and without knowing in the darkness of it all, I chose to make it > > my life path. Hugely unsettling as it made me question so much of who > > I was and had done in my career and in my life. It led me to a deep > > searching, so much reading, throwing myself into Open Space as a > > practice every chance I could finally leading me...inside myself. As > > I started to go there and for me this is just the start, I realized > > that by just 'being' instead of 'doing', life around me was changing! > > My relationships with my mom, my dad, daughter and siblings, friends > > and others are so much richer. I’ve met so many people this past year > > leading to so many “big talk” conversations instead of small talk -- > > conversations where it feels like we're Expanding our Now. (a > > Harrison book). > > > > Often, I felt like I needed to go into my cave disconnecting, knowing > > that I will be reconnecting with quiet purpose following my bliss in > > the years ahead. Not easy to do in a society that expects us to do > > more and more with less all the time. Plus there is this little thing > > called paying your bills. Yes, it has been blissful, easy no! > > > > As I have embarked on this journey, I read what you’ve and many others > > have written, great thinkers and many authors you spoke of in your > > books. Myth, philosophy, science, etc. Like a kid, reading Hardy Boy > > mysteries, it’s been magical. And through it all, I think of Open > > Space, its principles, its law and what it awakens in many people > > inviting them to Freedom and Choice, to the place inside of them that > > makes you feel like a kid again that is your life.. > > > > Everywhere around me, I see people racing, running, worrying without > > ever having time…or taking time. By opening space, wherever and > > whenever I can, 24X7 (for me once a month participating or > > facilitating: this weekend with the Girl Scouts), I feel I can do a > > small part for people to perhaps discover as I did the magic that is > > within them. > > > > In my continuing words of thank you, a brief paragraph from one of > > Joseph Campbell’s writings captured in the book Pathway to Bliss > > talking about Arthur’s banquet hall with all the knights around the > > Round Table. To me, it spoke Open Space. > > > > “They thought it would be a disgrace to go forth in a group. Each > > entered the Forest Adventurous at that point which he himself had > > chosen, where it was darkest and there was no way or path.” You enter > > the forest at the darkest point, where there is no path. Where there’s > > a way or path, it is someone else’s path; each human being is a unique > > phenomenon. The idea is to find your own pathway to bliss. > > > > Harrison when I sat in a circle for the first time, it felt like a > > scary dark forest for me – someone who had lived in hierarchy all my > > life, career and otherwise seeking to do what others defined to be > > “living responsibly” in a command-control sort of way. I felt it then > > and I feel it now that by opening space, there is a big chance that > > Open Space will "catch others" too. I don't know if you can find this > > place alone, by yourself. For me, I found it sitting there with others > > in my first Open Space when I was in Canada. I believe with Open > > Space, we can discover ourselves and what we're passionate about and > > from that place, we create community, a new community where people can > > just be themselves, give of their individual gifts, appreciate others > > and create in a new way, paying attention and noticing what matters, > > expanding their now. > > > > So folks, now I press the send button feeling a bit vulnerable, > > questioning as I always do if silence is not more effective because in > > the end knowing our journeys are always unique and personal, I know > > that it is not by "telling" that we find our journey but in > > discovering it ourselves. > > > > I know had I been reading this before I "met" Open Space leading me to > > my path, it would have scared me to read this as if someone was > > pushing a religion on me. > > > > And yet here in this community which feels like home, I felt it was ok > > to share especially now less than a month away from the Berlin WOSonOS > > with OS happenings in Australia as well and Brian Bainbridge in our > > thoughts. > > > > Love to all, Suzanne > > > > > > * > * > ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: > http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist > * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
